The condition
Bankson was diagnosed with uterus didelphys, a rare condition which only affects about 1 in 2,000 women worldwide. Doctors aren't sure why it occurs, but they do know how.Difficult to diagnose
Bankson says she always experienced brutal menstrual periods (makes sense in retrospect, given that she has two uteruses), but doctors didn't diagnose her until her twenties.The challenge in diagnosing the condition is that women with uterus didelphys may look "normal" on the outside—as in, their labia, vulva, vaginal opening, and clitoris (what we colloquially think of as the "vagina")—appear fine. Doctors have to look inside, using an ultrasound or MRI, to spot the issue. Women are often in the dark about their condition until they go to the doctor for some other problem (or, say, pregnancy).
Bankson, for example, went to the doctor complaining of back pain—only then did doctors discover that she had only one kidney and an extra uterus.
Is it dangerous to have a spare uterus?
Several complications can arise from having uterus didelphys. First, as Bankson describes in her video, menstrual cycles can be unpredictable (she bleeds multiple times in a month). Second, pregnancy can be complicated for some (but not all), as women with the condition may be more prone to infertility, miscarriage, and premature birth than the general population. One reason? Both uteruses take up about the same space as one, so they tend to be smaller.Women with uterus didelphys often deliver via cesarian section, as all of the women above did.
What about sex?
Not all women with uterus didelphys have two vaginas like Bankson, but for roughly 75 percent of women who do, those two vaginas are separated by a membrane called the vaginal septum. While the exterior opening appears "normal" on the outside (as in, there's one vaginal opening), there are two roads to take inside.The septum can make sex with a man a little, well, different for women with the condition. In some cases one vagina is larger than the other, and that's the one where the magic happens (i.e. the intercourse). In other cases one vagina might be blocked entirely, so the unblocked vagina would be used for intercourse.
Of course, some women have had sex in both—such as British woman Hazel Jones, who says she lost her virginity twice. #themoreyouknow

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